Fables
by XWaltzforVenusX
Summary: The story of a girl and her prince and how they lived happily ever after. RT.
1. Breadcrumbs

_And now for something completely different._

_This is a continuation of the one-shot from Little Thoughts called 'Stranger'. It's chapter 17, and if you haven't read it, it's not necessary for this, but you may be kinda confused if you don't read it first. As a little background info (or a reminder for those of you who did read it and forgot): Ryan came to live with the Cohens at 9 instead of 16, after he met Taylor._

_Again, I've put dialogue in italics, and I don't refer to people by their names unless it's in conversation, cause I love being weird and confusing like that. All of the chapters will be fairly short, since they're basically just a string of one-shots set in the same universe._

_Well, I hope you all enjoy the weirdness._

_Music: 'Balance' by Sara Tavares, off the album 'Balance'_

* * *

"**Breadcrumbs"**

They lose their way on a Monday afternoon in early September.

She stands on the curb and watches the bright yellow bus disappear around the corner and she sighs. He stands next to her and doesn't say anything but she can feel how tense he is.

_We missed the bus,_ she tells him, like he doesn't know that for himself. But she feels better when she talks and she'd rather talk than freak out. _My mom's going to kill me._

_It's my fault_, her prince says finally, pushing his hands into his pockets and hunching his shoulders. She turns to look at him, the bright sun lighting his hair like a halo, making his eyes glow bright blue.

_It's not_, she argues and smiles. It's not his fault it took so long. She'd been assigned by the principal to show him around since he's new and since she likes to talk, it took longer than she meant it to. And now they've missed the bus. _Can we call the Cohens?_

They can fix this. Merlin will come and save them and her mother will never have to know.

_They're at work,_ he frowns. _I don't want to bother them_. She sighs and lets him brood. She knows he's uncomfortable with his new living arrangements and his new school and his new friends. _Can't we call your mom?_

_My mom's evil, remember?_ He nods slightly. _She'll ground me if she has to come pick me up._

_Is she that much of a witch?_ he asks, looking nervous. She only nods because she doesn't want him to freak out.

After all, he isn't ready to save her yet. He hasn't realized he's a prince.

_We can walk_, she suggests and he nods, still nervous. She's not afraid though, because he's here to protect her.

They walk to the road and turn in the direction the bus went and they walk until they come to an intersection.

_Which way?_ she asks.

_I don't know, I've only ridden the bus twice. Don't you know?_

She should, but she doesn't. She's spent her whole life alone, and the bus was just another place to bury her face into a book. She didn't pay attention to the scenery. So she shakes her head no and he sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

_What's that?_ she points when something to the right catches her eye. He shrugs and she walks over to it, ignoring his protests. She picks it up and examines it.

_What is it?_ he comes up behind her and asks. She holds it out for him to see.

_It's a Dungeons and Dragons piece,_ she explains when he doesn't recognize it. _Seth was showing them to me the other day when the Cohens invited me over for dinner._

_Seth dropped a plastic knight out the window?_ he shakes his head again, but doesn't sound surprised. _Well, at least we know the bus went this way._

_Oh!_ she exclaims happily and kisses him on the cheek for thinking of that. He flushes red and ducks his head and starts walking again. She skips to catch up with him and flashes him a smile that doesn't seem to make him any more comfortable.

They come to another intersection and stop. She wasn't sure why she thought this road would take her all the way home, but she's disappointed at another choice.

_Hey, look over there_, he points to something small laying on the sidewalk and they make their way over to it.

_It's a centaur_, she smiles at the plastic piece in his hand. _He's leaving us a trail._

_Are you sure?_ her prince asks, looking doubtful.

_He dropped two pieces for us_, she tells him.

_But it's Seth. He's really clumsy. Plus, it could be Luke throwing them out the window._ He looks upset at the thought and she resists the urge to kiss his cheek again. But she shakes her head and turns toward their route.

_No. He's leaving us a trail_.

Her prince doesn't argue and they continue on until they come to the next intersection. They stop and look around and this time, it's her that spots it. _There_, she points and they pick up the plastic thing.

_Fine_, he relents sullenly. _He's leaving us a trail. The…_ his eyebrows furrow as he stares at the piece. _Well, I'm not sure what that thing's supposed to be, but I guess it means he's leaving us a trail_.

She nods happily and they walk.

The sun is still bright and she doesn't mind walking because she likes being with him. Even if he doesn't talk, she feels like she's getting to know him. They still have a lot to learn about each other. After all, it's only been two months since he fell out of her apple tree.

_Look_, she points and they see his castle. _We made it._

His sidekick is waiting for them in the kitchen and he looks relieved when they walk in.

_I didn't know if you'd get it,_ he drops off the stool and comes to collect his pieces. She hands them over to him, all except the knight. She keeps that one because it reminds her of her prince. _Ryan doesn't seem like the type to follow breadcrumbs_.

Her prince glares and she giggles and the sidekick smiles.

_Leave me alone,_ he mumbles and sits on the stool at the counter.

_Mom left us a snack_, the sidekick takes another stool and her prince glares. Then he slides off his seat and offers it to her and she kisses him on the cheek again and sits. _Mom never left snacks before you came_, the sidekick continues with a whine. _She loves you more._

_I think she's just trying to fatten him up_, she giggles and ignores his pout.

_You are kinda skinny, man_, the sidekick jokes. _Being a hobo does that, though_.

_He wasn't a hobo_, she argues. _He was in exile. From his kingdom, _she explains when they both look confused. _He was just waiting until he found a better castle to live in_.

Her prince and his foil exchange a look, but she doesn't care. She's not crazy.

_Let's fatten you up, then_, the sidekick says after a pause and pushes the plate of cookies to his new brother. _Maybe mom wants to try cooking again. Maybe she wants to fatten you up so she can make you into a delicious meal._

_No,_ she shakes her head while her prince glares. _Your mom isn't an evil witch. She's a good witch. She doesn't cook children._

_Your mom probably does_, her prince says, voice low. She giggles and he looks proud of himself for making a joke.

They eat cookies and play video games until Merlin and the good witch come home. They invite her to stay for dinner and she calls her mother to see if it's ok. Her evil mother isn't home, so she guesses she can stay.

She sits at their table and smiles because she knew this would happen one day. She knew that one day, she would find a kingdom that wasn't filled with bad people and dark clouds. She's never had that before and that's why she smiles.

Because now she can spend Monday afternoons with her prince.

_

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_

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	2. Red

_By the way, you can all thank Whitelilly for this, since this is based off her one-shot. As she said, this is her story, then. So here's to you!_

_I also wanna thank ORy, who helped me a lot when I was brainstorming. She gave me some awesome suggestions and gave me the kick in the ass to write it. Thanks!_

_By the way, this chapter happens to be my favorite, and the first one I wrote. I figured I'd post quickly since I already had it done._

_Music: 'Blue Light' by Bloc Party, off the album 'Silent Alarm'_

* * *

"**Red"**

She goes to visit the good witch on a Saturday morning in late November.

Her prince told her his new mother isn't feeling well, so she's going to take her some tea. Magic tea, from the Korean market that will make her feel better.

But her evil mother won't drive her, so she walks, huddled in her red coat. Her wicker basket swings in her hands, loaded with the tea and some china, just in case they don't have any of their own.

The air is cold and she ducks her head against the wind, letting her hood cover her face and she stares down at her shoes as she walks. She's wearing her Sunday morning shoes, her black shiny Mary Janes. And even though she knows she shouldn't, because it's not Sunday morning, it's a special occasion and she wants to look nice.

Going to the castle is always a special occasion.

She smiles and tightens her grip on the basket as her feet follow the familiar path through the densely packed houses and high hedge fences. She cuts through yards, even though she isn't supposed to, because it makes her route faster.

She's so focused on her feet, on the path to the castle, that she doesn't notice the boys, standing in their yard.

_Hey_, the voice calls and she looks up to see the evil prince and his henchmen watching her. She tries to ignore them, but the evil prince steps into her path. _You're Taylor Dorksend, right?_ She stares down at her feet, but now she does it so he can't see her new glasses.

Her mother told her the glasses made her look frumpy, but her prince told her they made her look smarter. The good witch and Merlin had agreed.

_Hey, I asked you a question_, he taunts and his friends laugh.

_Yes_.

_Where are you going, Dorksend?_

She takes a breath and looks up at his blonde hair and blue eyes. Her prince's eyes are brighter, his hair fairer.

_To visit Mrs. Cohen,_ she tells him and she almost makes the mistake of calling her the good witch. She'll only get made fun of if she makes that slip. _She's sick_.

_Oh no_, the evil prince mocks, pretending to care. _Maybe we should go visit and help her get better._

She glares at them as they laugh. _No_, she tells them with a frown. If they go, they'll only devour the good witch. That's what they do – they eat people's happiness.

_Are you telling us what to do, Dorksend?_ he asks, looking angry. Her hands tighten on her basket.

_Leave me alone,_ she whispers and steps around him. She quickens her pace as she walks away, leaving them behind and she sighs in relief when they don't follow.

She hates her new glasses. No one called her Dorksend before the glasses. And no one's called it to her face, but she hears the whispers. All the girls hate her, because she has him.

Her prince.

She smiles and feels lighter when she thinks of him; how he follows her around in the halls when he's not with his sidekick, how he glares at the boys that talk to her, how he stands in front of her when girls make nasty comments.

He doesn't say much but that's ok. She talks enough for the both of them.

_What's in the basket?_

She's so startled, she almost trips on an uneven patch in the pavement. The evil prince steps into her path and she wonders how he got in front of her. He must know better shortcuts than she does.

_Leave me alone, Luke,_ she says lowly, trying not to sound fearful.

_What's in the basket? Must be important if you can't tell me_, he stands in her way and moves with her when she tries to sidestep him.

_It's tea_, she relents, hoping he'll just go away. She's afraid of the coldness in his eyes and the way his teeth glint white in the dim winter sun. Sharp teeth, like a wolf. She moves to try and get around him again, but he blocks her way. _Leave me alone, Luke_, she repeats, bowing her head so her hood hides her face.

_Why?_ he asks and she notices his friends aren't with him this time. _I think it's really nice you're going to see Mrs. Cohen_.

She looks up, startled, at his change of tone. He smiles at her but she's not sure she believes it.

_Then let me go_, she reasons, finally looking him in the eye.

_I'll walk with you,_ he offers, standing aside and gesturing for her to start walking. _You know, so you don't get hurt. You never know who's out here._

She doesn't know what to do, so she walks, hoping he'll get bored and leave. He falls into step with her and they walk in silence.

_I like your coat_, he says finally and smiles at her when she looks at him.

_What do you want, Luke?_ she asks, frowning at him. He stops walking and turns to face her, placing his hand on her arm to halt her progress.

_I want to kiss you_, he tells her, still smiling.

_Why?_ She means to say no, but why comes out first, because she's startled. He steps forward and she backs up.

_You have such pretty eyes,_ he murmurs, eyes flashing. _Such pretty lips_.

She's never kissed anyone before and she doesn't want to kiss him, so she tries to step away. His hand's like a vice around her arm, though, and he won't let her go.

_Stop_, she tugs her arm and almost drops her basket.

_Come on,_ he smiles still, teeth glinting like fangs. _I'm sure Chino won't mind_.

_Let her go_, a sharp voice cuts through and she relaxes and so does the hand on her arm. She pulls it free of the wolf's grasp and looks over her shoulder, her hood falling back in the process.

_Chino, relax_, the wolf smiles but steps backward, looking more human now and less like an animal.

_You don't get to touch her,_ her prince steps forward and puts himself between her and the wolf. Except he's not a wolf anymore, he's turned back into just an evil prince. _Go away_.

The evil prince rolls his eyes but turns around and disappears behind the hedges.

Then her prince turns to her, to see if she's alright. She just smiles at him and she's no longer upset or afraid. Somehow, she knew he'd come. She doesn't know how or why, there's no logic in it, but she knew.

_You ok?_ he asks, reaching out and pulling her hood up to cover her from the cold.

_Now I am_, she smiles and he ducks his head.

_You shouldn't walk alone_, he grumbles, stuffing his hands in his pockets and starting to walk the path to his castle. She just smiles and follows him.

She knows he's not really angry. She knows he's never angry with her, he just doesn't know how else to be but cranky.

She likes making him cranky.

_I was coming to see you and Mrs. Cohen, _she explains cheerfully and he turns to her with a glare. _I have tea._

_It's cold out_.

_I wore my new coat_, she rolls her eyes at him, even though she doesn't mind how protective he is.

He turns his head to see her coat and she smiles at him. He just turns and they continue to walk.

And when they get to his castle, she follows him up the drive and they go inside, where the good witch is huddled on the couch under a pile of blankets, tissues strewn around the room.

_You brought me tea?_ she coos when she opens the basket. Merlin takes it into the kitchen and she hears the microwave start.

_Tell Taylor it's dangerous walking here by herself_, her prince frowns and sits on the chair in the room. Merlin brings out the tea, grinning, and hands it to his wife. She hides a smile with the cup.

They all know how he is.

_She shouldn't walk by herself,_ he continues, voice getting louder when his new parents don't immediately scold her. _It's cold out…_

_I bought a new coat_, she smiles brightly and Merlin grins.

_It's lovely_, the good witch is smiling, too. _And this tea is delicious, thank you._

_Ryan, why don't you and Taylor go play with Seth in the den?_ Merlin suggests, sitting on the floor next to his invalid wife.

She nods and skips into the kitchen, pulling her coat off. Her prince takes it from her and puts it over a kitchen chair. He looks at it for a moment then turns to her.

_I like you in red_, he says quickly before moving past her.

She blushes and follows him into the den, where his sidekick sits in front of the TV. She sits on the couch behind them as they play video games and she remembers what it was like, a little over a year ago, before him. She remembers sitting in her room and watching Disney movies and reading fairy tales and wishing her life were like that.

Now she spends Saturday mornings with her prince and his sidekick at the grand castle where everyone likes her.

Now, she enjoys Saturday mornings.

_

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_

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	3. Tower

_And now I give you mini-Summer._

_Music: 'Cloudless' by Peter Gabriel, off the album 'Long Walk Home'_

* * *

"**Tower"**

She stares out her window on a Friday afternoon in late August.

She was invited to a party but now she can't go, because her mother grounded her. She'd been so excited to go, because she's wanted to go to the princess's birthday parties since first grade.

The princess always waits until just before school starts to have her birthday party, because everyone's on vacation in July. And this year, she's invited, because her prince is.

And her prince is invited because his sidekick is.

She smiles when she thinks of them, how the sidekick fumbles over himself around the beautiful princess, how he tries to impress her. She knows the only reason he can talk to her at all is because her prince gives him the confidence.

But she's grounded, because she broke a plate and her evil mother likes punishing her. So she sits at the window seat in her room and props her chin in her hand and stares out at the trees that border the side of her house.

She feels so alone because her mother is at the other end of the house and she feels isolated.

Next to her, her book of fairy tales lays propped open, but she's not interested. Ever since her prince came, the fairy tales aren't so appealing anymore.

Even so, the pictures are pretty, and she turns to look at it again, flipping through the pages. She doesn't read the words because she doesn't need to. She knows all the stories by heart. Instead she studies the pictures, the rounded illustrations of blonde boys and girls with rosy cheeks and bright eyes. The pages are dulled by time, reds faded to orange, but she doesn't care.

Lately, imperfect things seem better.

After a while, she starts to wonder if she can sneak out, but she knows she can't. She's trapped in here, like a tower without a door.

A loud clack makes her jump and she looks out her window to look for the source. She flinches back when another stone hits her window and she pries it open and sticks her head out.

Her prince is on the ground below, ready to throw another, but when he sees her, he drops his arm.

_What are you doing here?_ she calls, trying to keep her voice from carrying.

_It's time for Summer's party_, he reminds her, voice steady and low as well.

_I told you I'm grounded_, she frowns. _If my mom sees you, I'll get in more trouble._

_Can't you sneak out_? he asks, looking up at her. _She never notices you, anyway_.

_She notices me when she wants to_, she reminds him, wishing she could sneak out. But she's horrible at stealth. _She's probably listening for my door to open_.

_Then don't go out the door_, he shrugs, face unreadable from this distance.

_What?_

_Come out the window_, he tells her. She leans further out and looks down at the ground, her long hair hanging down. She's not afraid of heights, but she's not stupid, either. And she's no rock climber.

_I can't, Ryan,_ she calls, shaking her head. _There's not even a trellis for me to climb_.

_Tie your sheets together_, he tells her. _Tie them to your bedpost and climb down. Like the rope in gym_.

She wonders if he's crazy to come up with this or if he's done it before. Then she remembers he ran away from his mother and she knows why he doesn't see this as a big deal. Because he's done worse, he's been through more.

She steels herself and nods, ducking back inside and pulling the sheets off her bed. She knots them like the sidekick taught her – sailor knots that hopefully won't give. And she ties the end to her bedpost and throws the length out the window.

She looks out, down toward the ground where he stands, the makeshift rope hanging a few feet above his head. It doesn't reach the ground.

_I'll catch you_, his voice is low and steady and even though his eyes are unreadable from her tower, she trusts him.

So she tosses the princess's gift out the window and stuffs her lip gloss into her pocket and thanks the builders of her house that gave her room windows that open like doors. Just like gym class, she thinks as she grips the sheets tightly and lowers herself slowly out.

Her arms strain and her hands slide a little before she catches herself. She's glad she's knotted the sheets every foot or so as her legs lock around it and catch on one. And just like in gym class, she climbs down, slowly because this time, there's no mat underneath.

Before she knows it, she feels his hands on her waist and he lowers her to the ground and it's not till her feet touch the earth that her heart gives an erratic jump.

_I can't believe I did that,_ she whispers, starting to giggle and he smiles with her.

_Me either_.

She hits him playfully and he smiles again as he picks up the present she threw down. Then he takes her hand and pulls her along as they make their way to the street where his bike is propped up next to his sidekick.

'_Bout time,_ he mutters, letting his skateboard drop to the ground. _Let's go_.

_You just want to get to Summer's_, her prince teases as he gets on his bike and she gets on the spokes, like she always does.

_I can't believe she invited me_, he whispers, looking nervous.

_Maybe she'll let you kiss her,_ she smiles when he looks worse, going paler than normal. _It is her twelfth birthday. Maybe she wants to have her first kiss before she has to be a teenager._

The sidekick pushes off and glides away, looking thoughtful and she smiles.

_Do you?_ her prince asks quietly and she turns to see him staring at her intently. She feels her breath hitch and her heart speed up but she doesn't know what to say. Because one thing she's sure of is that kisses are a big deal. She has to be in trouble and he has to rescue her or they have to be at a grand ball or something.

But she's definitely sure her first kiss will be with him. She just hasn't decided when, yet.

He doesn't push it and he follows his brother as they make their way towards the princess's castle.

The princess greets them at the door and the sidekick trips on his shoelace and knocks over a vase and the king glares as he fumbles out an apology. She and her prince laugh silently as they watch the princess tell her father to be nice.

_I didn't think you were coming_, the princess comments as they make their way to the backyard, where the party's set up.

_We had to bust Taylor out_, the sidekick tries to recover.

_What?_

_My mom locked me in my room_, she tells what she hopes is her new friend. _Ryan came to my window and I climbed down a rope to escape._

_Wow,_ the princess breathes, eyes shining. _That sounds so cool_.

_It was_, her prince says, hands in his pockets. _She was really brave about it_.

_Heights freak Ryan out_, the sidekick clarifies.

_Oh, I may have to leave early_, she cuts in, frowning. _Sorry, Summer, but I do have to get back before my mom notices I'm gone_.

The princess nods, looking upset but understanding. _Your mom's evil_, she tells her and she nods.

_Which is why she should get home early_, her prince frowns too. _Especially because she'll know I had something to do with it._

_She does hate you_, she sighs. Her mother hates him because he's from Chino. It doesn't seem to matter that he's a good person and he's the reason she has friends. But it matters to her.

_If she finds out I sprung you, she'll probably… I don't know, blind me or something._

_Well, let's enjoy the party while we can,_ the princess suggests. _And open my presents._

They move toward the gift table and she smiles because everything seems to be clicking into place. Because even though having friends felt great, something always seemed to be missing, a piece of the puzzle wasn't there.

But now, here, today, it feels like their group is complete.

She stays longer than she probably should, but she eventually has to leave.

She rides the spokes of her prince's bike all the way back to her house and she kisses him on the cheek before climbing back up to her window. She pulls the sheets in and unknots them as she watches her prince ride away and she smiles.

She couldn't have asked for a better Friday night.

_

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_

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	4. Fingertip

_Just to be clear: there's about a year in between each of these stories. In the one-shot 'Stranger' they were 9, Breadcrumbs was 10, Red was 11, Tower 12, and now they're 13 in this one. Sorry if I didn't make the time-jumps obvious._

_Music: 'Across the Universe' by Rufus Wainwright, off the album 'I Am Sam'_

* * *

"**Fingertip"**

She wakes in his room on a Thursday morning in late June.

She doesn't open her eyes, though, because she doesn't want to ruin the quiet serenity in the air. She can feel the sunlight on her face and she can smell him all around her, because it's his room.

Her mother's angry at her, so she's been banished from her house and she's been hiding out here for the past few days. Merlin and the good witch let her have the pool house and her prince sleeps in his sidekick's room on an air mattress.

She likes sleeping on his bed and not just because it's his. She just likes this place, this castle. It's peaceful here, and when she sleeps here, it feels like she sleeps for a hundred years each night. And overlaying the smell of him is the scent of roses. The ones he gave her two days ago that she put into a vase and placed on his nightstand.

The door clicks open and shut and she knows just from the sound of his feet that it's him but she doesn't open her eyes. She smells coffee and she knows he came to wake her up.

_Taylor_, he calls and she hears him set the cup of coffee on the nightstand. _Wake up_.

She doesn't open her eyes and there's a pause before he calls her name again. Her mouth twitches up into a smile before she smoothes it back. He sighs.

_Taylor, I know you're awake_. She shuts her eyes tighter and resists the urge to smile when she hears him sigh. _Oh no_, he says mockingly, _Taylor won't wake up. What will I do?_

She doesn't giggle, even though she wants to. After nearly four years with his sidekick, he's perfected sarcasm.

_She won't wake up for coffee,_ he continues, talking to himself even though he's talking to her. _Will she wake up for… chocolate chip pancakes?_

She shakes her head slightly to let him know that even his special pancakes won't get her up. He sighs and the bed dips next to her as he sits.

_Will she get up if I watch that stupid Japanese movie she's been trying to get me to see?_

It's tempting, but she shakes her head no again, keeping the movement slight, still feigning sleep.

_How about a new comic?_

Another shake of her head. He sighs and there's silence for a while. Then the bed shifts slightly and something comes to rest next to her head.

_Well_, his voice is startlingly close and she realizes he's moved to lean over her. _How about_ _this?_

She doesn't know what 'this' is, but she doesn't open her eyes, in case it's a trick. There's more movement and she doesn't know what's happening until she feels his hot breath against her cheek and she gasps slightly as he hovers there, letting the tension fill the space between them, fizzing in the air.

Then his lips touch hers, lightly, tentatively and she lets out a little squeak of surprise at the jolt, which makes him press his mouth to hers more firmly.

Her eyes pop open as he kisses her and when he pulls away, she stares at him.

His own gaze is calm and steady, cool blue eyes watching her, but she can see the way he's stiff, the way he's breathing raggedly, nervously.

_You woke up_, he observes, voice wavering slightly.

_You kissed me_, she says back, still unbelieving.

_You wouldn't wake up_, he explains, starting to look uncomfortable. _I wanted to wake you up._

_Thank you, Ryan_, she smiles and he blushes.

He stays silent for a while, sitting on the edge of the bed as she drinks the coffee he brought her. She can't wait to call the princess and tell her the news. Her prince kissed her, finally. It wasn't the big romantic kiss she'd been expecting but it doesn't matter. This one's fine.

_What happened to your finger?_ His voice is soft as his eyes fix on her hand, on the cut on her finger. She sighs.

_Before my mom kicked me out, I was trying to use our sewing machine and I got pricked._

_Does it hurt?_ he asks, raising his eyes to hers. She's about to say no when his hand moves to grip her wrist and he bends his head down to kiss her fingertip, and she feels the same spark at the contact.

_Not anymore_, she smiles and he smiles back. She sees something in his eyes change and his gaze focuses on her lips again and he leans in.

The door opens and they both turn to look at the sidekick. _Is she awake yet? I wanna go see Summer._

_I'm awake,_ she sighs as her prince gets off the bed, ducking his head and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

_Way to knock_, her prince grumbles angrily.

_Why would I knock?_ the sidekick asks, furrowing his brow. _You were in here, so it's not like she was changing or something. And it's not like you guys were doing anything._

Her prince turns away and stays silent and the sidekick gasps. He shoots her a look and she grins and shrugs.

_Jesus and Moses_, the sidekick breathes. _I know you said you wanted to do it soon, but I thought you'd wait till mom and dad couldn't catch you._

_You were planning this?_ she giggles and her prince lifts his shoulders slightly in a shrug.

_He talks about it all the time_, the sidekick jumps in, either ignoring or oblivious to her prince's glare. _Come on, let's go over Summer's._

She gets out of bed and goes into the bathroom to change and giggles at the thought of what her prince and his foil are doing while she's gone. She can only imagine how her prince is glaring and blushing and the sidekick is grinning and teasing.

She comes out and the sidekick gets on his skateboard and her prince gets on his bike and she rides the spokes like always.

_So was it all cheesy and romantic?_ the sidekick quizzes as they ride. _Cause if it was, don't tell Summer. She'll just get angry that our first kiss wasn't romantic._

_It's not my fault you pretended to trip and fall on her lips_, her prince shoots back monotonously and she giggles, remembering.

It had been her prince's thirteenth birthday party and his sidekick had 'accidentally' tripped and kissed his princess. He'd gotten slapped for his efforts, but the princess forgave him after much apologies and begging.

Ever since that day, she's been waiting for her prince to kiss her, because they were thirteen now and she feels like that's a good age to have a first kiss. Plus, she's been waiting for it for four years. But she never pushed, because her prince likes to take his time with things and think them through before he acts.

When they get to the princess's castle, it's the first thing out of her mouth and the princess squeals excitedly and her prince ducks his head and the sidekick laughs. The boys go into the living room and she and the princess go into the kitchen to get drinks and they talk about the kiss and how her heart is still going too fast and she's still having trouble breathing right.

They gather the drinks and go in and the princess sits on the floor with the sidekick and she sits on the couch with her prince and he pretends to yawn as he places his arm on the back of the couch. She smiles and shifts closer to him and rests her head on his shoulders and they watch the movie.

She likes summer because she can spend every morning sitting on the couch with her prince and her friends and watch movies.

And she lifts her fingertips to her lips and she can still feel them tingle and she wonders how a Thursday morning could be so magical.

_

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_

review


	5. Midnight

_By the way, this skips about two years from the last chapter. They're fifteen, although I guess that'll be really obvious._

_I'm posting these really close together because 1) it's easy to write them and I love them too much not to post, and 2) I'm going down to the beach for a while and I wanted to try and get this story done. It's not gonna happen, but I'm updating now and I may update tomorrow morning before I leave._

_Music: 'Slow Like Honey' by Fiona Apple, off the album 'Tidal'_

* * *

"**Midnight"**

She walks out on the stage on a Saturday night in mid August.

Her dress is white and her shoes are silver that shine like glass and her gloves hide her shaking hands as she steps forward with her father – up from San Diego for the occasion. Her father doesn't kiss her cheek like the princess's did, but that's ok. She doesn't need her father, because she has him.

Her prince walks forward and takes a deep breath before he bows and extends his hand and she lets go of her father without a word.

When they're on the dance floor he breathes a sigh of relief and turns to slide his arms around her waist.

_I thought I was gonna trip_, he mutters, clutching her hand too tight because he's nervous.

_You did really well,_ she comforts him with a small smile and rests her head on his shoulders as they dance. She doesn't care if everyone's watching and it isn't proper to do it. She feels weak and she needs the support of him to hold her up.

_I was afraid I'd look like an idiot_, he continues. _Fifteen year olds from Chino don't do this sort of thing._

_You're not from Chino anymore_, she reminds him

_No?_ he questions lowly, bringing his lips near her ear. _Are you sure?_

She lifts her head from his shoulders when she realizes he means something more, but she's not sure what. _Of course I'm sure,_ she starts, furrowing her brow. _Why_?

He licks his lips and his gaze darkens as he stares at her intently. _Do you remember how we met?_

_You fell out of my apple tree_, she smiles, voice dreamy soft as they dance.

_And you told me, when you dropped me off at the Cohens, that I didn't know… That I was still from Chino._ She knows she didn't say that. She said he didn't realize he was a prince yet, but she knows he's too embarrassed to repeat it. _Ever since, I've been trying to be good enough for you_.

_You've always been good enough for me,_ she says. _You just needed to realize it for yourself._

_But I'm just a kid from Chino_, he whispers, looking desperate.

She knows now why he never asked her out, why they never put a name on what they had. They're friends and nothing more, even though he steals kisses from her when he can, even though they spend every day together. She knows everything about him, even if he doesn't talk about it and she doesn't hold anything back from him.

She closes the distance between them and kisses him, then moves her mouth toward his ear. _You look like a prince tonight_, she says and she feels his hand tighten on hers. They both know what she's saying.

But he doesn't acknowledge it. Instead he takes a deep breath and runs his gaze over her. _Are you sure?_

_I've always been sure, Ryan_, she says, almost pleading. She's always been his and he's always been hers. Everyone knows it. He thinks no other girl asked him to Cotillion because he's from Chino, but she knows it's because they know they had no chance. The whole school, the whole town, knows he belongs to her, except for him.

She doesn't know how he makes her feel like this. All her life, she felt like she was invisible, a peasant girl forced to scrub the floors and watch everyone else be happy. But with him, especially tonight, she feels like she's been given a gift, magically transformed into a princess for the night.

She's glad she convinced her mom to let her have contacts before Cotillion.

He looks around the room, then breaks away from her. His hand on her arm makes her follow and she finds herself on a patio behind the country club and she wonders if there was always a fountain here.

_Sorry_, he apologizes. _I just didn't want to do this in front of everyone._

She wonders what he means and she's about to ask when he bends down to kiss her and this time it's different. She melts into him and she feels like they're in a world of their own.

_Ryan_, she breathes when he breaks away and when she looks up at him, his eyes are dark and hooded, lips parted slightly.

_Come over tonight_, he tells her, fingers coming up to brush the strands of hair out of her face.

She's slept in the pool house countless times and he's slept on the floor sometimes and once he fell asleep next to her when they'd been studying, but this is different. She's not as naïve as everyone thinks she is and she knows what he's asking.

_I have curfew_, she keeps her voice low so it doesn't break. Because she wants to go with him but her mother only let her out if she had a curfew.

_When?_ he asks, desperation filling his gaze.

_Midnight_.

He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and his eyes go dead. _What time is it?_ she asks fearfully.

_Eleven fifty-eight._

_Oh._ She steps back from him and hangs her head so he can't see her tears.

_Don't go_, he begs, threading his fingers into her hair and pulling her in for a kiss.

_My mother's picking me up_, she shakes her head. _At midnight in the parking lot._

He presses his mouth to hers and pulls her in close and it's a better argument than anything he could have said.

They're broken apart by a soft chiming and she pulls out her cell phone and shuts off the alarm.

_I have to go_, she whispers and steps away from him.

He doesn't argue as she turns and walks as fast as she can in her heels to the front of the country club and she sees her mother's car waiting. Her mother's car used to seem so glamorous but now that her cell phone's struck midnight, it just seems plain.

Everything seems plain now, because she's not with him.

She gets in the car and turns to see him watching her from the corner of the building and she lowers her head so she doesn't cry.

_You only have one earring_, her mother says as she pulls away from the curb.

She lifts her hand to her ear and it's bare and she realizes she must have dropped it back at the country club.

Her mother says nothing else on the way and when she gets home, she goes to her room and shuts her door. Then she takes off her beautiful gown and slips off her shining shoes and lets her perfect hair down and she's just her again. She's not a princess.

She stares at herself in the mirror and wonders if her prince had just said those things because of her dress, because of the magic of the night.

A tap on her window makes her turn around and she sees him opening the panes and slipping through. Since the first time she snuck out, three years ago, they've come up with a better way to get her in and out. A trellis under her window gives her a way out when her evil mother locks her up and now it gives him a way in.

_What are you doing here?_ she asks, looking over her shoulder at the door, expecting to see her mother.

_I think this belongs to you_, he says and holds out his hand, where her diamond earring catches and reflects the light from the moon.

_You could've waited until tomorrow_, she protests but there's no strength behind it. He knows there's not and he puts the earring on her dresser and lifts his hands to cup her face and presses his lips to hers. She wonders why he's kissing her, because she doesn't have the magic dress on anymore, just her regular pajamas. The pink fluffy ones with sheep on them that she bought as a joke when she was shopping with the princess.

He walks her back towards her bed and she lets him because she wants this.

And she thinks, as he lifts his shirt over his head, that there's no better time for this than midnight on a Saturday.

_

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_

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	6. Mirror

_Yay! I'm back! And sunburned, but whatever. _

_This is the only chapter with no significant time-jump. Takes place the morning after last chapter._

_Enjoy._

_Music: 'Burgundy Shoes' by Patty Griffin, off the album 'Children Running Through'_

* * *

"**Mirror"**

They wake to an angry shout on a Sunday morning in mid August.

She gasps and pulls on his overshirt as her mother yells and he follows suit with his boxers.

_Get out_, her mother hisses at her prince as he pulls up his pants and looks around for his wife beater.

_Mom_, she protests, hands shaking as she tries to find her pajama bottoms.

_You're grounded_, her mother snaps angrily and her prince tenses up.

_Don't talk to her like that,_ he warns and she wants to tell him not to bother.

_Get out, before I call the police for trespassing,_ she threatens angrily.

She turns to her prince and nods and he leaves, not looking convinced. When he's gone her mother starts yelling again about the state of her reputation and how she's a disgrace. She sits on her bed and listens without speaking.

She finds herself at the castle two hours later and Merlin opens the door and leads her into the kitchen where her prince and his sidekick and the princess are sitting.

_Taylor_, the princess jumps off her stool and rushes forward. _Are you ok?_

The sidekick looks worried and her prince is tense, but he doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to give away their secret. Especially with Merlin and the good witch in the room.

_I just came to tell you guys I'm leaving_, she whispers through her tears and everyone freezes.

_What?_ the good witch questions when no one says anything.

_My mom's sending me to boarding school_, she says, voice still wavering. _All my stuff's packed and she even has her chauffeur outside waiting for me._

_You're leaving now?_ the princess asks, voice tinged with panic and she can only nod her head.

Her mother's banished her from the house, sent her out with the chauffeur that reminds her of a hunter. He's big and burly and even though he's nice, he won't disobey her mother.

_Boarding school? Like school where you live?_ the sidekick clarifies, sounding dumbfounded and she nods again.

_That's not fair_, the princess sounds angry now, eyes hardening. _Your mother's horrible!_

_Why is she sending you?_ the good witch asks, voice low and steady, like she already knows the answer. She can't help when her gaze goes to her prince and they both look down at the floor.

_Oh_, Merlin sounds uncomfortable and the good witch shifts in her seat and the princess shoots her a questioning look as she realizes what's going on. Only the sidekick doesn't seem to know and he looks back and forth between everyone in confusion.

_That's not fair_, the princess says again, wavering between anger and pity. _All your mom ever does is stand in front of her mirror and... be vain and now she's sending you away because you're younger and prettier and people like you better than her? She can't do this._

_Dad,_ the sidekick turns to his father. _Can't you do something?_

_There's nothing I can do, kiddo_, Merlin admits, shoulders dropping. _I'm sorry_.

_Not good enough_, her prince speaks up finally and they all flinch at the anger in his voice. _You helped me out, why can't you help her?_

_Because, sweetie,_ the good witch stands up and moves toward him. _Your mother let us adopt you. Taylor still has her mother and we have no legal responsibility for her._ The woman tries to rest her hand on his shoulder but he pulls away.

_Can't we keep her here?_ the sidekick tries to help, tries to placate his brother. _Hide her in the pool house or something?_

_That's kidnapping,_ Merlin's voice is low but commanding. _Even if she wants to stay here against her mother's will, that's still aiding and abetting a minor running away._

_I don't want you guys to get in trouble_, she whispers finally and wipes at her eyes. _I just wanted to come say goodbye._

Her prince slams his coffee cup down on the counter and leaves the kitchen and stalks out to the pool house, where he opens and shuts the door loudly. Everyone else stays silent as they stare out the back doors as he lowers the blinds so no one can see him.

_I should get going_, she says, voice cracking.

_Sorry we can't help_, Merlin tries to apologize, but she shrugs it off. It's weird, because suddenly he looks like just a man, not the almighty superhero she'd always imagined him as. And even the good witch has lost her glow, and she realizes she came here not to say goodbye, but because she truly thought they could help her.

She promises that the first chance she gets, she's throwing out her book of fairy tales because they're useless. All they've done is get her hopes up and ruin her life and she lowers her head when she feels the lump rise in her throat.

Suddenly, the castle just looks like a house.

_I'm gonna miss you_, Summer hugs her but she doesn't hug back because she feels empty.

_Yeah,_ Seth agrees, standing a few feet away, awkwardly.

_Bye_, is all she says before she turns and leaves.

She gets into the car with the chauffeur and stares at the house as he pulls away.

She feels empty right now, like the light that popped into the world six years ago on that Sunday morning when he fell from her tree is gone. Everything feels dull and she sinks into her seat.

The brochure for the boarding school boasts it as being set deep in the woods, and she wonders if she'll have to share a room. Probably, and knowing her luck, she'll have seven roommates and they'll all have horrible habits and personal hygiene.

When the chauffeur drops her off at the airport, he tries to apologize and she says she forgives him. She knows her mother sent him here to rip out her heart, but it's not his fault. And he's trying not to, he's trying to apologize, he's trying to keep her alive.

It doesn't matter, though, because she's banished from her home and she'll never see her pri… she'll never see Ryan again.

Because she knows her mother won't let her home for the holidays and she knows she won't be allowed to see him over the summer, either.

He's gone forever and she'll never get her happy ending. She'll never get her big castle or her white horse or her handsome prince.

She used to think Sunday mornings were magical, but now she knows they aren't, because nothing is.

_

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_

review


	7. Three

_Alright, this is really short, but I like to think of it more as an interlude._

_Music: 'Phantom Always' by Kenna, off the album 'Make Sure They See My Face'_

* * *

"**Three"**

She sits in her room on a Wednesday afternoon in early January.

Her roommates are gone, eating dinner or something like that. She doesn't know and she really doesn't care. She's been here for five months, but it feels like forever.

She has nothing to do, because she doesn't feel like doing anything. Her books are too boring, movies too depressing, music too painful. They only remind her of him.

She sighs and stands up and looks at the other two beds in the room. It's a large room and they have enough space, but she hates sharing.

Her first roommate is clean and tidy, small, with light hair and lighter eyes. She's quiet and keeps to herself and does her homework every night and never says anything rude.

Her second roommate is noisy and messy and obnoxious and rebellious. She dyes her hair black and darkens her eyes with makeup and tries to fail out of her classes.

The first roommate is too pitiful, the second too forceful. The first too light, the second too dark. Even the way they decorate their sides of the room is a contrast, light and dark, soft and hard, hot and cold.

She knows her side of the room should be in the middle. She knows it should feel safe and warm and… just right.

But it doesn't.

She doesn't feel right anywhere that doesn't have him.

He's been a part of her life for six years, ever since they were nine and he fell from her apple tree. She knows she must have lived before him, but she honestly doesn't remember how. She doesn't remember how to function without him, without his ever-constant presence.

Sometimes she still feels him.

She'll be sitting in class and she'll turn her head to look at him, only to find he's not there. Then she turns around and wonders why she felt him. Maybe it's because she's spent the past six years with him and it's only been five months without.

He doesn't write.

She's tried keeping in touch with him, but he's never responded. Every time she tries calling him, he keeps his voice dead and only talks when she prompts him with a question. And then his answers are only one word; _yes, no, maybe, fine, good._

She's stopped trying to talk to him, but sometimes she calls just to hear him answer the phone. Then she hangs up and he never calls her back., een though he knows it's her.

She needs to hear his voice, so she picks up the phone and dials the number she knows by heart. For a minute or so, she thinks he's not there, but finally his voice comes on the line.

_Hello?_

It sounds like he'd been laughing, and she wonders if his sidek- if Seth's in the room. She wonders if she should say something. He doesn't speak again, because he knows it's her.

_Hi, Ryan_, she says softly, finally.

_Taylor._

She wants to cry when she hears the life drain from his voice, the traces of laughter disappear. Because it's her. He doesn't want to talk to her.

_I realized I hadn't called in a while_, she continues lamely. _I wanted to see how you were_.

_Good_.

She lets the silence hang and wishes he would say something. Because if he doesn't then she'll either lose her nerve and hang up, or say something stupid.

_I miss you_.

Looks like she's chosen stupidity and she closes her eyes tightly, like that will make it go away. He doesn't say anything for a long while and she almost hangs up.

_Yeah._

It's enough. It's one word and it's vague and general, but it's enough.

_I guess I should go_, she whispers. _I should go eat._

_Yeah._

_Goodbye, Ryan._

_Bye._

She hangs up and puts the phone back in the cradle and wonders why she called him. Did she think it would make her feel better? That somehow, his voice would fill the gaping hole he left in her life?

She misses him, with every breath she takes. She misses the way he would stand next to her in school and glare at guys that talked to her, the way he would lean forward and kiss her softly, the way he would get angry and upset when she did something that he deemed dangerous. She misses the way he was just always there. Silent, strong. He was her rock, her protector, her savior.

Her prince.

Not anymore.

Now she's just a girl, stuck in a place that's not her own, trying to find something, anything, that feels right.

She moves through the room and the sunlight that streams through the window makes her hair gleam gold as it curls around her shoulders and she remembers how he always liked her hair when she let it curl.

She sits back on her bed and picks up the giant brown bear he had gotten her for her eleventh birthday and she smiles, thinking back. She'd seen it on sale at a shop on the pier and fallen in love with it and he'd bought it for her.

For her twelfth birthday, he bought her another bear, because the first was lonely and she smiles as she picks it up. It's a contrast to the first. This one's white and fluffy, the first one dark brown and more masculine.

And she smiles down at the third bear, light brown, smaller than the others, that he'd won for her at a carnival when they were fourteen.

Three bears, all from him, and she hugs them tightly to her chest and lays back against her pillows.

Her bed isn't right. Sometimes it's too hard, sometimes it's too soft, but it's never right. Not like his bed was, when she used to sleep there. Not even like her bed at home, even though she hated sleeping there.

And it's definitely not right, like her bed was the night he spent with her.

Nothing's right without him.

She closes her eyes and tries to sleep, because she has nothing better to do on a Wednesday afternoon.

_

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review


	8. Rose

_Last chapter. I'm posting now because tomorrow I have company coming over and then it's back to work (vacation time, where did you go?) I hope you all have enjoyed my brief break from reality. I'll miss this… I like living in fairy tales._

_And thanks to Robert Southey, Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont, Charles Perrault, and the Brothers Grimm for giving me the inspiration._

_Music: 'Everything Will Be Alright' by The Killers, off the album 'Hot Fuss'_

* * *

"**Rose"**

She comes back on a Sunday morning in early July.

As she stands in her room, filled with boxes, she can't believe her plan worked. She appealed to her father, called him every day for nearly three months until he threatened to stop paying child support unless her evil mother took her out of the boarding school.

And now she's back, in the evil house that feels only vaguely like home and she can't believe she's here. It doesn't feel real.

Somehow she finds herself outside, turning right at the end of the driveway, her feet following the familiar path to his house. Through the yards, over the fences, everything scarily unchanged, even after two years.

She hasn't seen him in two years.

The house's smaller than she remembers, but she doesn't dwell on it. She doesn't knock on the door, either. She goes around the house and glances into the pool house, but he's not there. She backtracks and heads toward the pier, remembering the diner they used to frequent.

He's there, sitting at a table outside, and she stops dead in her tracks when she sees him. His eyes are older, shadows in them, and his hair is longer than it used to be, shaggy and wild.

And she flashes back to eight years ago, almost exactly, when he fell from her apple tree and it feels like the world has color again. It feels like the world has color and purpose and meaning and life.

Magic.

His eyes are blue and his hair is blonde and she takes an unconscious step forward. She stops, though, when the rest of the world comes back into focus.

His sidekick is there with him, along with the princess, but there's someone else, a girl she vaguely recognizes. Her heart freezes in her chest when she sees the other girl lean into her prince and it's wrong. It's all wrong and she feels like this has to be a trick, a spell, a curse.

The evil enchantress has to have cursed him.

She decides to leave and the minute the thought crosses her mind, his eyes rise and meet hers, almost like he senses her there, even though there's no way he could know. He doesn't move for a minute, just stares at her and she stares back.

It's him that breaks first and he turns to his group and says something and gets up. His eyes go back to her briefly and flick toward the space between two shops and she nods.

She moves through the crowd and keeps her head low and waits for him in the alley, pacing and picking at her nails. She knows she should've thought this through. She looks awful because she hasn't changed from her flight and it's obvious. She wore the blue and white dress for comfort, but now it's wrinkled and slightly dirty from the plane and she knows her hair is a mess and it probably looks like she just ran through a forest, chased down by wolves.

A shadow blocks the entrance to the alley and she looks up to see him, looming, angry and confused and so many other things she can't process right now.

_What are you doing here?_ he asks and she wants to cry because she hasn't heard her prince's voice in nearly a year. _Why aren't you… what are you doing here?_

_I got my mom to let me out_, she says and tries to smooth down her hair. _My dad, he helped._

_Your dad_, he says, but it's not a question or a comment. Just a statement of numb disbelief. She doesn't blame him.

_So who is she?_ She wants to hit herself for saying that. She hadn't meant to, but she couldn't help it. And he doesn't ask who she meant, because he knows.

_Her name's Marissa. She used to be friends with Summer when they were little. Remember?_

_Yeah_.

They stand in silence and she's not sure what to say next, so she bites her lip and picks at her nails.

_You left me_, his voice is hard and she looks up at him to see the anger in his eyes. _You can't just come back and act like you're some sort of victim. You left me, remember?_

_I didn't have a choice_, she says quietly, hands shaking, because this isn't him. Her prince would never yell at her.

_Look_, he says, running a hand through his hair. _I can't do this right now_, _I have to get back to my girlfriend._ She takes a step back and wonders what the evil enchantress did to him, to make him so cruel. Because she knows he said that to hurt her.

_Then go._ It's all she can do not to cry, because this isn't how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to come back and he was supposed to be happy and still… want her.

He turns to go, but pauses at the alleyway entrance. _I want to talk to you later,_ he says, voice low and edged with anger. _Come to the pool house tonight at seven. _

_Ok,_ she manages to get out before he leaves and she's not sure it was a good idea to agree.

But she goes home and dumps out box after box of clothes, looking for something to wear, something that doesn't look stupid or desperate, because he doesn't… want her anymore. He just wants to talk, or yell, or give her something she probably left when she went away.

She settles for a yellow summer dress, hoping the color will soothe him. It's not a ball gown, but it's classy enough for her tastes.

_Taylor, where are you going?_ Her mother's voice stops her in the foyer and she turns to see the evil woman standing there.

_Out._

_Your father may have convinced me to let you back home, but I am not letting you out of this house. You're going to see the felon, aren't you?_

_His name's Ryan, mom_, she almost whines, but her mother doesn't crack.

_You're staying in your room tonight. Go._

She can't argue, so she goes back upstairs and shuts her door. Then she puts on music and waits until she hears her mother go down to the den to have her usual after-dinner vodka. When she's sure her mother's buried in liquor, she opens her window and peers out and smiles when the she sees that the trellis is still there.

She climbs down slowly and starts to walk, unable to take the car because her mother would hear. As she goes, she glances at her watch and realizes she's nearly an hour late, but she forgot her cell phone at home so she can't call. She hurries, though, feet taking the same route they always did.

She makes it to the castle in record time and sneaks around the side of the house and knocks quietly on the pool house door. A noise comes from inside, but no one answers, so she tries the door handle.

He's sitting on his bed, elbows on his knees, head hanging down and she sees a single red rose in his hand. When she shuts the door, he looks up and she lets out a breath at the dead look in his eyes.

_Sorry I'm late_, she tries, lamely.

_I thought you weren't coming_, he croaks, voice barely above a whisper.

_No, my mom just… and I forgot my cell phone…_ she isn't sure what she's saying because his hand's moved to his chest, pressing over his heart and he shakes his head slightly.

_I thought you weren't coming_, he repeats, brows furrowing. She moves over to the bed and drops to her knees in front of him and takes his hands in hers.

_I'm sorry, Ryan._ It's not enough, but it's all she can manage right now. He looks at her and for a brief moment his eyes are wild and she's suddenly afraid that he's too far gone – that the evil enchantress has turned him into a beast that isn't capable of being human anymore. _I'm here now_, she tries, bringing his hand up to her face so he can feel her.

_I can't do this,_ he whispers, something indefinable sparking behind his eyes. _You'll just leave again_.

_I won't_, she promises, voice rising in desperation. _I'm back for the next school year and once I'm eighteen she can't send me away again, Ryan. I'm not leaving._

_When you didn't show up_, he continues like she hasn't said anything, _I thought I was dying…_

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. This isn't how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to come back and he was supposed to still be the same boy she fell for. Instead she finds him, brooding and angry, and now she's here.

_I love you, Ryan_, she whispers and everything stops. Time, her heart, her head. Everything stops for an eternal second and she feels an overwhelming sense of calm. And as time snaps back to normal, she realizes she's never told him that before and she wonders why.

Because she's been in love with him for eight years, since that morning he fell out of her apple tree.

He looks up at her and she watches the anger fade and she watches the pain go away and she watches him transform back into her prince.

_I love you, too_, he smiles and everything is right with the world.

She doesn't care that it's been two years, she doesn't care that her mother hates him, she doesn't care about the evil enchantress. Nothing matters except that he loves her and she loves him. He stares at her and she smiles back at him and she feels her heart rate speed up.

_That for me?_ she asks, to break the tension. His eyes follow hers to the single rose in his hand and he flushes red and nods. _It's beautiful_, she murmurs and takes it gently from him, smiling down at it.

_Yeah_, he whispers back and when she looks up at him, she catches him staring at her.

It's the last straw and she breaks down and lays her head on his knee as he threads his hand into her hair and they sit there in the darkened pool house, with the moonlight streaming through the windows as she cries.

She falls asleep in his arms and she doesn't care that she should go home before her mother realizes she snuck out and she doesn't care that his parents will most likely find them in the morning and she doesn't care that she'll have to explain everything because no one but him knows she's back.

She doesn't care because for the first time in two years, she gets to spend her Sunday with him.

And she doesn't care, because she knows she'll be spending all of her Sundays with him and she thinks that today was a miracle.

And what better time for wishes to come true than a warm Sunday morning?

_

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_

...and they lived happily ever after...


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